Aime latjre



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGEEQ AIME LAURE, or MAZAMET, FRANCE.

PROCESS OF DEPILATING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,044, datedSeptember 18, 1883.

Application filed May 16, 1883. (No specimens.) Patented in FranceJanuary 4, 1883, No. 152,956; in England February 9, 1883,

No. .34, and in Belgium February 10. 1883, No, 60,411.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LAIME LAURE, a citizen of the Republic of France,residing at Mazamet, (Tarn,) France, have invented a new or improvedprocess for unhairing skins by means of a water-stove, (for which I haveobtained Letters Patent in France, dated January 4, 1883, No. 152,966,fifteen years Belgium, dated February 10, 1883, No. 60,411, fifteenyears; England, dated February 9, 1883, No. 7 34, fourteen years;) and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription 'of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new process for unhairing skins of all kindsand qualitiessuch asthose of sheep, lambs, goats, rabbits, hares,calves, oxen, cows, &c.by means of a water-stove, in which the skins arevertically suspended.

The means I employ are the following: I make a water-stove instead of afermentingstove, but with this difference, that instead of having ahermetically-closed chamber I simply establish a large or small basin orpan capable of being left uncovered. I arrange hooks exactly the same asin a fermenting-stove, and Ihang the skins thereon by the feet, side byside, taking care to keep them perpendicular. The skinsbeing hung up anddescending nearly to the bottom of the basin or pan, I fill up thelatter until all the skins are entirely submerged. I can put into thewater-stove fresh or beaten skins, skins steeped or not steeped, skinsbeaten or not beaten, skins washed or not washed, skins scalded or notscalded, and skins secured or not secured. The prolonged stay of theskins in the water naturally causes the peeling, and when this peelingtakes place the skin has not suffered at all in the water. On thecontrary,it has gained in value and the wool is completelyv preserved.Then the moment for peeling has arrived, it is only necessary to emptythe basin or pan, the skins drain separately, and they can be peeledeasily. By.

this water system I am also enabled, while preserving the leather andthe wool, to accelerate more or less the operation of peeling. If it ispreferred to let the skins follow their natural course, cold water maybe used both in winter and summer. It will be understood that the skinstake longer to peel in winter than in summer; but no harm is occasionedby that. accelerate the operation of peeling, I use tepid or hot water,and I add to the bath any ma terial capable of hastening thisoperationsuch as soap, soda crystals, strained bran-water, &c.provided,always, that the materials employed are not such as would injure eitherthe leather or the wool.

I may observe that, if care has been taken to put the skins into thewater-stove perfectly scoured and washed, (by means of what is known asthe Puech Process, for eXample,) wool can be obtained of a valuehitherto unknown.

By my process of peeling, the leather 0b If, on the contrary, it isdesired to tained is not only worth more, but it can be manipulatedimmediately by the tawer, or it may be salted, and, more especially, itmay be dried without losing any of its quality.

These water-stoves can be employed for peeling the skins of lambs andsheep, as well as those of goats, rabbits, hares, oxen, cows, calves,&c.

As will have been seen in the foregoing description, I replace violentand dangerous means by a most natural, practical, and economical method.

I do not claim laying hides or skins one upon another in a bath. Thishas been done before, and is objectionable, because the skins lying oneon top of the other prevent free action of the bath on their surface. Infact, the uppermost skin will be finished on its upper surface beforeany appreciable effect has been made 011 any of the other surfaces, andwill mislead the attendant into the belief that the lower skins are inthe same condition as the upper. Again, the pressure of the pile ofskins is liable to injure the lower skins. Finally, the skins, whenplaced one upon another in a bath, cannot be drained without being firstrehand=1ed,whi1e by my process, when the waing water, theperpendiculm'ly-placed skins ter is let out, they drain Without beingdisbeing entirely submerged in the water, subturbed. stantially ashereinbefore described.

I claim AIME LAURE. 5 The process of treating skins preparatory toWitnesses:

peeling, which process consists in suspending PIERRE PRICE, the skinsvertically in an open vessel contain- HERM. A. GAU.

